Post by Tundra on Jun 26, 2015 16:50:32 GMT -5
I love a good Halloween party, and Fall is my favorite time of year. I usually go all out for both Oktoberfest' and Halloween.
Some people love Christmas, and spend all day happily slaving over extravagant feasts, I suppose everyone has a day of the year in which they indulge themselves like that in one way or another. For me, It's Halloween.
Costumes, stories, the scary movie marathons, I love every bit of it, and I go to great lengths to enjoy that day to the fullest.
I also love me a good beer/drink/cocktail. And these 2 hobbies happen to clash perfectly on Halloween.
So, here's a list of both beers, cocktails and liqueurs that I find would go well with any Halloween party. I'll divide them into sections, and keep expanding this list as I try or discover new things.
Beers, the staple of any good party. Not a lot of spooky ones around though. Some breweries do have seasonal beers, but they aren't always readily accessible.
Full disclosure: I've yet to try most of these. They are all seasonal brews, made by smaller breweries who don't always export them. If/when I get my hands on them, I'll update their sections with full reviews.
The Newcastle brewery however, has a fine beer, and It should be somewhat easy to get no matter where you are:
It's a nice little beer, a little bitter though, but It's not too expensive, and serves well as the cornerstone of any Halloween party.
Green Beer, while not made by any brand I'm aware of, is widely marketed for St. Patrick's Day in the US. However, It's quite simple to make at home, without compromising the beer itself, and adding a delightful twist to a mundane drink.
First off, get a Pilsner, or IPA style beer. Light beers also work, but as a beer enthusiast I just wouldn't recommend them. Popular choices for Americans could be Budweiser, or Pabst Blue Ribbon. Neither are particularly interesting beers, but this is the type you'll want to go for.
You can use darker types of beer, but you need to use so much food coloring, that It will make your teeth green, and probably compromise the quality of the beer.
Second, Squirt 4 - 6 drops of green food coloring in the bottom of a beer glass. Use more drops for beer of a darker hue. Use liquid food coloring, as opposed to gel; it'll mix with the beer much more easily.
After that, all you need to do is fill the glass with your beer of choice, and you're all set. Don't stir the beer though, It'll make it go flat. The colors will mix naturally as you pour.
The Narragansett brewery has a whole 2 horror themed beers:
Both beers are supposedly excellent. The Innsmouth Ale though, is a quite dark brew, and might be harder for non beer lovers to get into.
Fine beers, but they probably shouldn't be front and center for your party, but rather something for adventurous souls to try.
The New Holland brewery has a fun Harvest brew, the Ichabod:
Containing Pumpkin and Nutmeg, It should go quite well with desserts.
The Great lakes brewery makes a seasonal beer for September, going with a more sinister theme:
Pairs with, Root vegetables, red meats, and dark cellars.
The Crystal Head Vodka:
The brainchild of actor/Ghostbuster Dan Akryod and artist John Alexander, It is an additive-free vodka filtered 3 times through Herkimer diamond crystals, said to contain healing energies.
An excellent and pure Vodka, made on the principles of purity and the supposed supernatural powers of the Crystal Skulls and crystals.
Monster's Choice Whisky
A decent, but ordinary Scotch whisky blend, with an entertaining label:
Fulton's Harvest Pumpkin Liqueur:
I imagine this would go very well with the Ichabod beer at the dessert table.
Candy Corn Jello Shots
Candy Corn, whilst mostly unknown to people outside the US, are a staple Halloween candy each year. And with a little Jello, you can create a delicious shot form of them:
Instructions are here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=76ZpCvXQdOA
The little things count too you know. Even with a craft beer on hand, you can always make It that much more special and spooky with a few finishing touches.
For example, a few ice cubes to cool it, and make an impression:
www.thinkgeek.com/product/1cda/
www.thinkgeek.com/product/1ffd/
A Chemists cocktail Mix set would also go very well with the theme:
www.thinkgeek.com/product/14aa/
Even just for decor, fill it various brightly colored liquids, perhaps some dry ice.
Dry Ice:
A useful, yet dramatic tool. In sheets like above, they both add an awesome mystical fog in drinks, or simply strategic placements around the house. If you're serving drinks from a large bowl, a sheet or two will both keep the drinks cool, and cover them in very cool fog.
It's not harmful in any way to use them as ice cubes, but there's a few things to keep in mind if you use dry ice:
Keep the place well ventilated. Open some windows, keep the ice itself in open spaces.
Don't touch it without gloves. Dry ice is very, very cold and can burn the skin after just a few seconds of touch. If you use it as ice cubes, pack it underneath a layer of regular ice to keep it away from contact with the mouth.
Glass wares
Perfect for Halloween, or otherwise spooky/scary/horror themed parties, these are quite fitting ways to serve the guests:
www.thinkgeek.com/product/f2cc/
www.thinkgeek.com/product/e9df/
Snacks
Can't have a party without something to chew on, but don't worry, there's a nice selection there as well.
First, Zombie Jerky:
I find it quite delicious, but opinions may vary. Basically, It's simply beef jerky with green dye, quite harmless, but a great party snack.
The producer of it has a nice selection of Zombie themed edibles, along with a few other fitting categories, with both food and drinks: shop.harcoslabs.com/zombies/
Feel free to send me a PM if you know of any drinks, or accessories you think would go well here, and I'll add them to the ever growing list.
Some people love Christmas, and spend all day happily slaving over extravagant feasts, I suppose everyone has a day of the year in which they indulge themselves like that in one way or another. For me, It's Halloween.
Costumes, stories, the scary movie marathons, I love every bit of it, and I go to great lengths to enjoy that day to the fullest.
I also love me a good beer/drink/cocktail. And these 2 hobbies happen to clash perfectly on Halloween.
So, here's a list of both beers, cocktails and liqueurs that I find would go well with any Halloween party. I'll divide them into sections, and keep expanding this list as I try or discover new things.
The Brews
Beers, the staple of any good party. Not a lot of spooky ones around though. Some breweries do have seasonal beers, but they aren't always readily accessible.
Full disclosure: I've yet to try most of these. They are all seasonal brews, made by smaller breweries who don't always export them. If/when I get my hands on them, I'll update their sections with full reviews.
The Newcastle brewery however, has a fine beer, and It should be somewhat easy to get no matter where you are:
It's a nice little beer, a little bitter though, but It's not too expensive, and serves well as the cornerstone of any Halloween party.
Green Beer, while not made by any brand I'm aware of, is widely marketed for St. Patrick's Day in the US. However, It's quite simple to make at home, without compromising the beer itself, and adding a delightful twist to a mundane drink.
First off, get a Pilsner, or IPA style beer. Light beers also work, but as a beer enthusiast I just wouldn't recommend them. Popular choices for Americans could be Budweiser, or Pabst Blue Ribbon. Neither are particularly interesting beers, but this is the type you'll want to go for.
You can use darker types of beer, but you need to use so much food coloring, that It will make your teeth green, and probably compromise the quality of the beer.
Second, Squirt 4 - 6 drops of green food coloring in the bottom of a beer glass. Use more drops for beer of a darker hue. Use liquid food coloring, as opposed to gel; it'll mix with the beer much more easily.
After that, all you need to do is fill the glass with your beer of choice, and you're all set. Don't stir the beer though, It'll make it go flat. The colors will mix naturally as you pour.
The Narragansett brewery has a whole 2 horror themed beers:
Both beers are supposedly excellent. The Innsmouth Ale though, is a quite dark brew, and might be harder for non beer lovers to get into.
Fine beers, but they probably shouldn't be front and center for your party, but rather something for adventurous souls to try.
The New Holland brewery has a fun Harvest brew, the Ichabod:
Containing Pumpkin and Nutmeg, It should go quite well with desserts.
The Great lakes brewery makes a seasonal beer for September, going with a more sinister theme:
Pairs with, Root vegetables, red meats, and dark cellars.
Liqueurs and Spirits
The Crystal Head Vodka:
The brainchild of actor/Ghostbuster Dan Akryod and artist John Alexander, It is an additive-free vodka filtered 3 times through Herkimer diamond crystals, said to contain healing energies.
An excellent and pure Vodka, made on the principles of purity and the supposed supernatural powers of the Crystal Skulls and crystals.
Monster's Choice Whisky
A decent, but ordinary Scotch whisky blend, with an entertaining label:
Fulton's Harvest Pumpkin Liqueur:
I imagine this would go very well with the Ichabod beer at the dessert table.
Cocktails
Pisang Ambon:
On its own, not very scary, not very dramatic, really nothing special. But, mix in a bit with Sprite for example, or really any clear drink of your choice, and It adds a bit of flavor, but most importantly, turns your drink toxic green.
It also comes in a purple Lime flavor, and light blue Mint/Vanilla flavor. Mixers such as these, while not meant to be drunk on their own, can brighten up any cocktail.
On its own, not very scary, not very dramatic, really nothing special. But, mix in a bit with Sprite for example, or really any clear drink of your choice, and It adds a bit of flavor, but most importantly, turns your drink toxic green.
It also comes in a purple Lime flavor, and light blue Mint/Vanilla flavor. Mixers such as these, while not meant to be drunk on their own, can brighten up any cocktail.
Candy Corn Jello Shots
Candy Corn, whilst mostly unknown to people outside the US, are a staple Halloween candy each year. And with a little Jello, you can create a delicious shot form of them:
Instructions are here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=76ZpCvXQdOA
Accessories
The little things count too you know. Even with a craft beer on hand, you can always make It that much more special and spooky with a few finishing touches.
For example, a few ice cubes to cool it, and make an impression:
www.thinkgeek.com/product/1cda/
www.thinkgeek.com/product/1ffd/
A Chemists cocktail Mix set would also go very well with the theme:
www.thinkgeek.com/product/14aa/
Even just for decor, fill it various brightly colored liquids, perhaps some dry ice.
Dry Ice:
A useful, yet dramatic tool. In sheets like above, they both add an awesome mystical fog in drinks, or simply strategic placements around the house. If you're serving drinks from a large bowl, a sheet or two will both keep the drinks cool, and cover them in very cool fog.
It's not harmful in any way to use them as ice cubes, but there's a few things to keep in mind if you use dry ice:
Keep the place well ventilated. Open some windows, keep the ice itself in open spaces.
Don't touch it without gloves. Dry ice is very, very cold and can burn the skin after just a few seconds of touch. If you use it as ice cubes, pack it underneath a layer of regular ice to keep it away from contact with the mouth.
Glass wares
Perfect for Halloween, or otherwise spooky/scary/horror themed parties, these are quite fitting ways to serve the guests:
www.thinkgeek.com/product/f2cc/
www.thinkgeek.com/product/e9df/
Snacks
Can't have a party without something to chew on, but don't worry, there's a nice selection there as well.
First, Zombie Jerky:
I find it quite delicious, but opinions may vary. Basically, It's simply beef jerky with green dye, quite harmless, but a great party snack.
The producer of it has a nice selection of Zombie themed edibles, along with a few other fitting categories, with both food and drinks: shop.harcoslabs.com/zombies/
Feel free to send me a PM if you know of any drinks, or accessories you think would go well here, and I'll add them to the ever growing list.
